Tips for Holiday Cheer

Dear Church Family,

Believe it or not Thanksgiving is only two weeks away. Another year has nearly flown by already. The older I get the more it seems that time is speeding up. Every time I ponder that thought the Lord reminds me about the importance of making the most of every moment and every day. Those moments and days quickly turn into years. God is big on stewardship, and He wants us to be good stewards of our time as well.

Back to my main point about tips for holiday cheer…most of us greatly look forward to this time of the year. As much as we look forward to the holiday season, it is also one of the most stressful times of the year for many families. I have put together four tips to help keep and to increase the amount of holiday cheer for each of us.

My first tip is to plan wisely. There is extra shopping to do. There are extra meals to make and extra goodies to bake. There are family gatherings to plan. There are holiday decorations to put up and take down. The list could go on. One could almost get stressed just thinking about it. Proverbs 24:6 says, “For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety.” The Bible encourages us to plan wisely for events that lie ahead. My wife and mother-in-law go so far as to bake their Christmas goodies in October and freeze them for later. (I always manage to sneak a few before they get them frozen.) We also decide when we will be meeting with my side and with Pastor Rebecca’s side of the family months in advance.

My second tip is to have a budget. Luke 14:28 says, “For which of you intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it?” Budgeting is a good idea through the holidays, even if you don’t do it the rest of the year. There are gifts bought and trips often made. Don’t just charge everything and then wait until January to figure out how you are going to deal with the bills. It is a good idea to have a budget ahead of time. The holidays are really more about Christ than the gifts anyway, so don’t get buried in debt trying to “outdo yourself”.

My third tip is to be selfless. Many times during the holidays various family members want to do certain things at certain times and in a certain way. It might not always be what we want to do or when we want to do it. We must develop somewhat of a “go with the flow” mentality. Obviously, we should not do things beyond our moral and Biblical convictions.

My fourth tip is to keep first things first. Don’t neglect your spiritual life because of the business of the holidays. If you normally pray, go to church, and read your Bible then still do those things. You will find yourself unfulfilled and without joy if you neglect those important things at any time, including during the holidays. The other things going on cannot take the place of Christ in your life. It is also a great time to be a witness to those who need Christ in their lives.

Coming from a large family and now being married with in-laws and four kids, I have found these things to be of help. I pray that they are a blessing to you as well.

Pastor Jeff

Finishing Strong

Dear Church Family,

I want to take this opportunity to encourage each of you to finish this year strong in your walk with God, your church attendance, and your fruitfulness for God. We usually take time at the beginning of each year and pray for the new year and talk about vision for the new year. It is important that we start strong but also that we stay strong and finish strong.
Jesus said in Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End”. God is pouring out His Spirit in these last days and wants to end this age on a high note. Let’s hook up with His plan and be a great part of His end time harvest of souls.
Proverbs 24:10 says, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small”. As God’s people He wants us to be strong and steadfast at all times, to the very end of whatever it is that He is asking us to do.
God spoke this admonition with me recently to share with the church. “Be careful not to unhook as things get busy this fall and transition into the holidays. How we finish this year will greatly impact our fruitfulness next year.” Let’s finish strong! Let’s have momentum going into next year!
Thank you for being an awesome church. I know that we will do this and bear much fruit for the kingdom of God. God bless.

Pastor Jeff